Lubricating system



July 24, 1934. w L. McFERREN 1,967,251

LUBRICATING SYSTEM Filed March 21, 1932 INVENTOR, 71 4 070%77'629 7 TORNEY Patented July 24, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application March 21,

7 Claim.

This invention relates to a method and system for the lubrication of machinery and while it is more especially adapted for the lubrication of numerous operating parts of an internal combustion motor, it is not essentially limited thereto.

It is a broad object of the present invention to effect the efficient lubrication of moving parts in mechanical apparatus by the positive distribution to the bearing or relatively moving surfaces of contact of a vaporized lubricating medium.

More specifically, it is an object to provide a method and system wherein air under a suitable degree of pressure is laden with a vapor of a desired character of liquid, which vapor is introduced between the relatively operating surfaces which are to be lubricated in a substantially continuous body at a desired pressure. It will be seen that by the introduction of a lubri cant-laden volume of air, that a sufficient quantity of the lubricant will be introduced without an excessive flow thereof.

A further object is to provide a method for the continuous supply of a vaporized air body to operating surfaces that are in contact and in the case of internal combustion motors, it is an object to provide for the continual exhaust of the fume-laden air which acumulates within the crank case and communicating piston cylinders, and to do so in a manner which will effect the separation of the deleterious material and the return of the clean hot air to .the fuel intake of the motor.

Further, an object is to provide for the control of the pressure in the crank case so as to facilitate the distribution of the vapor stream to the bearing parts of the motor and which bleed to the crank case.

A further object is toprovide a system involving means to receive a lubricating liquid from a source of supply and to effect the discharge of the liquidunder pressure maintained at a desired uniform degree into a body of flowing air so that the lubricating liquid will become finally atomized and remain in suspension in the air stream which forms a vehicle carrying the vaporized lubricating liquid to the zones of bearing between operating parts.

A further object is to provide a unitary apparatus comprising a pump for the discharge of a liquid lubricant and including a pump for creating an air stream under desired pressure to atomize the jetv of lubricant and further including a means for controlling the pressure of the air in the motor crank and incorporating a suitable separator for cleaning the foul air drawn from the crank case and enabling return of the heated air to the fuel intake of the motor.

1932, Serial No. 600,242

The invention consists in certain advancements in this art as set forth in theensuing disclosure and having, with the above, additional objects and advantages as hereinafter developed, and whose construction, combination and details of means, and the manner of operation will be made manifest in the description of the herewith illustrative embodiment; it being understood that modifications, variations and adaptations may be resorted to within the scope, principle and spirit of the invention as it is more directly claimed hereinafter.

The drawing is a diagrammatic elevation and partial section of the apparatus as combined with an internal combustion motor, a fragment of which is shown.

The method and the apparatus for its practice is herein disclosed and in which the apparatus is shown as affixed suitably to an internal combustion motor having a crank case 2 on which is mounted the cylinder block 3. the motor being provided with an air intake 4 for a suitable fuel carburetor.

From the crank case 2 there leads an eduction ppe 5 connected to an inlet valve passage 6; the valve '7 of which opens to admit foul gas from the crank case into a scavenging cylinder 8 in which is operated a piston 9 driven by suitable connections with a driving shaft 10.

This shaft 10 is mounted in the upper part of a housing block 11 in which there is provided an air-compressing chamber 12 in which a piston 13 is driven by the shaft 10. Fresh screened air is induced into the air chamber 12 past an inlet valve 13'. On its compression stroke, the piston 13 drives the air past an outlet valve 14 into a receiving chamber 15 whence it flows to separate air ducts16 and 17 respectively having needle valves 18 and 19 which may be closely adjusted to control the flow of air to the ducts 16 and 1'7.

The duct 16 communicates with a nipple 20 surrounded by an air hole 21 communicating with the duct 17. A suitable lubricant is discharged into the nipple passage under control of a lubricant valve 22 designed to open a lubricant duct 23 to the desired degree and permit the flow of lubricant under pressure from an accumulating chamber 24. This chamber has an inlet valve 25 opening from a lubricant pressure chamber 26 in which operates a piston 27 driven by the shaft 10. Lubricant is admitted to the piston chamber 26 by way of an inlet valve 28 having a duct 29 connected bya conduit 30 to a reservoir 31 containing the lubricant utilized in the system. I

In order to maintain a substantially uniform degree of lubricant pressure in the chamber 24, this-is provided with a pressure-controlling piston 32 under reaction of a spring33 in a compensating chamber 34 in which the piston 32 plays in compensating for the inflow and outflow of lubricant as the rate is determined by the jet valve 22 controlling the duct 23.

It will be seen that during operation of the apparatus, the compressed liquid lubricant from chamber 24 will be atomized as it flows into the stream of air passing from duct 16 to the nipple passage 20. To insure further atomization of the stream flowing through the nipple passage, the nipple has its constricted end discharging into the air passage 21 from the duct 1'7; the air being under the control of the valve 19.

The vapor-laden air flows from the passage 21 to a conduit which includes a manifold tapped by a number of vapor carrying tubes 36 whose ends are connected appropriately to convenient portions of the motor or other machincry for the supply of the vaporized lubricant to contiguous working parts. The constant supply of the vapor-laden air by the feeder conduits 36 insures the application of an ample amount of lubricating medium.

For safety, a by-pass valve 3'7 is shown as leading from the constant pressure chamber 24 to the supply conduit 30 so that excessive pressure may be relieved by back-flow of lubricant liquid to the reservoir 31.

In operation of the apparatus, vapor-laden air, charged with such deleterious fumes as may leak past the motor pistons into the crank case, is drawn into the scavenging chamber 8 and forced therefrom past an outlet valve 7*- and thence through a conduit '7 to a suitable type of filter 40 from which the hot air may pass by a conduit 41 to the carburetor intake 4 for conservation of heat.

Recovered lubricating oil is returned by con: duit 42 to the reservoir 31, undesired by-products from the fumes being tapped from the filter 40 at desired intervals through a drain valve 43.

What is claimed is:

1. The method for the supply of a lubricating agent to hearings in an internal combustion motor, which consists of establishing a compressed air supply, forming a jet stream of the compressed air and injecting into said stream a spray of lubricant from a source to vaporize the lubricant, forming a vehicle stream of the compressed air and introducing the vapor to the vehicle stream, maintaining the pressure of and passing the laden stream to the bearing to be lubricated, and exhausting the bearing to facilitate transition of the vapor through the bearing to the crank case and maintaining a continuous circulation of the lubricant by filtering the medium exhausted from the bearing and returning the recovered lubricant to the lubricant source.

2. The method for the supply of'a lubricating agent to bearings in an internal combustion motor having a crank case, which consists of sealing the crank case, establishing a compressed air supply, forming a jet stream of the compressed air and injecting into said stream a spray of lubricant from a source to vaporize the lubricant, forming a vehicle stream of thecompressed air and introducing the vapor to the vehicle stream, maintaining the pressure of and passing the laden stream to the bearing to be lubricated, and exhausting the crank case to facilitate transition of the vapor through the bearing to the crank case, and maintaining a continuous circulation of the lubricant by filtering the medium exhausted from the crank case and returning the recovered lubricant to the lubricant source.

3. The method for the supply of a lubricating agent to bearings of a machine which consists of establishing a compressed air stream carrying in suspension the vaporized agent, maintaining pressure of and passing the laden stream to the hearings to be' lubricated and exhausting the bearing to facilitate transition of the stream through the bearings and continuously filtering and returning the recovered agent to its source and re-introducing it in a continuous circulation into the air stream.

4. The method for the supply of a lubricating agent to bearings of a machine having a case which consists of sealing the case, vaporizing the agent, establishing a compressed air stream carrying in suspension the vaporized agent, maintaining pressure of and passing the laden stream to the bearings to be lubricated and exhausting the case to facilitate transition of the stream through the bearings, and maintaining a continuous circulation of the agent by filtering the medium exhausted from the case and returning the recovered agent to its source for re-introduction into the air stream,

5. The combination with an'internal combustion motor having a crank case which is sealed and has bearings for operative parts and lubricant conduits leading directly to the bearing faces; of lubricating means including an air ,pump to force compressed air through the conduits and to the bearings, means to introduce a spray of lubricant into the air passing to the bearings, and means to exhaust the oil laden air from the crank case to facilitate transition of the lubricating stream through the bearings a filter to which the exhausted oil laden air is delivered, and an oil source receiving the recovered oil from the filter for continuous recirculation by said spray means.

6. vThe method of directly lubricating bearing interstices for working parts of an internal combustion engine with a lubricant impregnated gas, which comprises conducting, and maintaining pressure of, a compressed gas directly to the interstice to be lubricated, and impregnating the stream of compressed gas with atomized lubricant prior to the contact-of the compressed gas with the interstice walls, and exhausting the interstice to facilitate forced flow and filtering the exhausted vapor and returning the oil to a source and continuously re-atomizing it in the air stream to the bearings.

7. The combination with a machine having bearing parts and operating elements, and a chamber which has communication with the interstices between the said parts and the elements at the bearing; of a gas compressor having con duit connection with the bearing surface interstices for the forced flow of the gas directly to and through the same and past the working parts, means to introduce atomized lubricating liquid into the flowing, compressed gas on its way to the intersticesrand evacuating means for the'chamber, an oil source, and a filter to which the evacuated vapor is conducted and which discharges the recovered oil to said source; said atomizing means connected to said source; whereby the oil is constantly circulated through the closed circuit formed by the elements of the apparatus.

WILLARD L. McFERREN. 

